krathfandomcom-20200213-history
The Molten Empire
The first civilization to rise after the progenitors was the Dwarven Empire, later known as the Molten Empire. They inhabited the vast grasslands and deserts of Tharak. The dwarves were in close contact with numerous ruins of the Nexus Empire. Because of this, the dwarves were influenced by a far superior culture. Elder notes of omni-potent beings intrigued the dwarves, who continued the worship of Ancients after the fall of the progenitors. Their first deity was Terralius. Dwarves connect him as the Keeper of Stone. He represented the power of keeping their lands whole and blessing their plains with fertile soil. The most important ruins in dwarven history to carry impact might have been ruins of Nexal, where dwarves found writings of an empowering entity that commanded the warmth of flame with the sheer force of unbending will – Gallius. The chained Ancient found his way into dwarven culture as the Warden of Flame. Gallius was a symbol for warriors and smiths, while Terralius was the symbol of emperors and common folk. Culture and Religion Despite being under the direct influence of the progenitors, the dwarves managed to retain most of their language that over the course of both eras managed to spread among the cultures of humans and elves. The Andel Hierarchy The dwarven equivalent of religion and government. In modern times, they worship the three gods: Keeper, Warden and Custodian. Just as there are three gods, there must be three andelars that represent them. Andelars in dwarven society are like high lords – each governing one segment of the Empire instead of its geographical regions. There was an andelar for the shapers that represented Terralius. Shapers are dwarves who use the source magic of earth to either fight their enemies or construct their cities. The dwarves had a natural affinity towards earth as they were surrounded by deserts and mountains. The second andelar represented Gallius and was for the warriors. He was the closest thing dwarves had for a general. This andelar would act through various commanders that he himself would appoint and rarely would enter battle himself once the position was attained as he was in charge of devising strategy and command while he left his commanders with the tactics on how well they would execute his plans. The third andelar represented the Custodian and was for the artisans. The artisans were the driving force of the Empire: non-shaper builders, smiths, farmers, tailors, jewelers. Each contributed to the wealth of the Dwarven Empire and the task of this andelar was to maintain constant production and to deliver supplies for war if the Emperor currently waged one. Gallinum Gallinum is without doubt the strongest and rarest metal in existence. In old Tharak, the gallinum trees were abundant across its fields and the dwarves considered this metal the ultimate challenge for a craftsman. This metal was often tied to the Warden of Flame. Dwarven people believed that Gallius blessed the trees with his essence, making the trees produce gallinum in the core of its fruit. The material is highly dangerous to be handled directly but the effects slightly fade after processing it on a forge. The metal is dark-red, coarse and pale and it has found its way into dwarven culture as the material from which dwarven crowns were made. Each new emperor was obligated to craft his own crown in a month after claiming the title otherwise he would be replaced by a new emperor who would be given the same task. The emperor would have to command extraordinary willpower to resist the influence of the crown. Many weak-willed emperors have gone mad. Notable Emperors The strongest bloodline of emperors came from the royal family of Tharonak who was on the throne from 1 FE to 1373 FE. It returned once again to power in 1874 FE and remained there till Balir IV. Mulir II - The Cloud Emperor The third dwarven emperor Mulir II Tharonak (398 FE – 563 FE) also known to legend as the Builder made a vow before the Andel Hierarchy – the dwarven representatives of religion, to construct a capital for the dwarven empire that would pierce the skies themselves. His favored location were the Shattered Mountains – a jagged formation of rocks that was planned to enclose the new capital. Mulir spent his entire life on this undertaking and by the year 549 FE he managed to build a city of countless levels reaching up to three kilometers in height. The city was named Tharakon to honor the emperor’s lineage. It is believed that the highest level reached the very clouds. Mulir became an exalted figure to the dwarven society after his natural death in 563 FE as he was proclaimed the Cloud Emperor and was raised to the height of dwarven culture as the epitome of a dwarven ruler. His ashes were scattered across the land from the Terrace of the Skies – the highest level in Tharakon. According to legend, Mulir’s ashes blessed the land with arnelum – skysteel. This material was as white as the clouds with an azure highlight. Arnelum is known to be the lightest metal in Krath, whereas gallinum is known to be the heaviest. The mark Mulir left upon his kin greatly affected the decisions of his descendants who aspired to great architectural wonders. Gallir I - The Crimson Emperor Gallir I (1874 FE – 2015 FE) climbed across the Crimson Mountains with his people and discovered what lay beyond the deserts of Tharak – Aoster, the Heartlands. He began the expedition in 1969 FE and by the year of 1978 FE, the dwarves came into contact with the Spire. They built a large hexagonal city around the Spire, upon the ruins of Ruunax. It was named Galliron. This city became the new capital of the dwarves during the reign of Balir II (2015 SE – 2111 SE) who further expanded the city and built tunnels beneath the Crimson Mountains to bring more of his Empire into the new lands. Balir IV - The Molten Emperor Balir IV (3566 FE - 3724 FE) was a vain and cruel monarch of unrivaled ambition. He wanted to replicate the work of his distant ancestor – the Cloud Emperor – and build an architectural wonder now known as the Molten Halls. The Molten Halls were meant to expand the tunnels originally made by Balir II and to create a grand hallway made from purified gallinum that would forever connect the homeland with the colonies. This impressive undertaking required a lot of wealth and a lot of time – Balir IV had no patience for either. He forced the human slaves into work. For 150 years they worked under the mountains and under direct exposure to gallinum. It began altering their appearance and the appearance of their newborns. As generations went, their eyes turned grey and their skin became the color of gallinum – a dark, bleak red. They were humans no longer – they became the first orcs. The word orc was the human word for worm, a mock made by dwarves to further humiliate the oppressed slaves.